Carl Crossman

I took the family out for some fun this Memorial Day. We went on a white water rafting trip in Fredericksburg Va. I bought a few rafts for us to float down the river on and we had a great time. The water was warm and pleasant and we all got soaked to the bone.

The kids had the best time of all as they got to do many things they have never done before. It was good to see them deal with new things and grow up a little. We also had a cookout and that worked out well too. I always say that family fun is the best kind.

One of my buddies from the warehouse was bragging about how he cooks the best brisket in Virginia. I told him I would take that as a challenge, because EVERYBODY raves about my brisket.

So we are going to have a cook off over Memorial Day weekend. I am taking this challenge seriously and am determined to win the taste test. I have to give some thought to what side dishes I want to prepare. I’m thinking homecut fries and a vinegar based coleslaw, maybe some corn on the cob if I can find some at the grocery store.

Never have been a big fan of mutton or any kind of lamb. I just don’t like the strong taste of that meat. But I guess Easter means lamb for dinner for a lot of folks. I always thought Easter meant ham, but I have had two different people telling me how much they liked their lamb for Easter dinner on Sunday.

One girl bought a rack of lamb ribs, marinated them for a couple of hours and then cooked them on the grill over charcoal.

My buddy in Dallas says he got a whole leg of lamb, cut it in half and grilled half of it for his Easter dinner. The dog got the bone and everyone was happy.

Maybe the problem for me with lamb is that I’ve never had it grilled. I always had it baked like a roast beef and served with mint jelly. I guess I’d be willing to try it again if someone wanted to grill it and let me taste it. I don’t think I want to try it badly enough to do it myself, but I’ll consider any offers from my friends . . .

I remember as a kid we got real rabbits one year. I don’t know why my dad thought it was a good idea, but we had rabbit cages out back for abouta year or so. But some animal trid to get in their cages and they were getting hurt, so we took them to a friend’s farm and left them out there where it was safer.

I always think of those rabbits when people start talking about the Easter Bunny. Hope you have a nice Easter.

Thanks to Roman May

As the snowflakes gently glide to earth in a seemingly graceful dance, I feel the spirit of Christmas starting to emerge. I suddenly get the undeniable urge to dig out the Christmas decorations and start the all too familiar holiday tradition of turning our home into a Christmas wonderland.

This is the time of year I love the most, our family seems to grow closer as we share the experience of the meaning of the season. Not only is it in the festivities but the celebration of the birth of Christ that we instill in our children as they grow into adult hood.

As we share in the decorating of our home we listen soothingly to the sounds of the seasons radiating from the radio. As the decorating fills our home with joy and happiness the excitement of the season grows with the twinkling of the multi-colored lights, the whimsical scenes painted on the window accented with the snow edged window panes that gives off a nostalgic picture of Christmas past. I love the older traditional decorations that have been pasted down for generations in our family. It gives us the impression of lost loved ones returning in spirit to celebrate the season with us.

The final touches to our decorating tradition is to sit among the beautiful decorations in the family room and enjoy a big bowl of popcorn as we enjoy a holiday special on our direct tv deals. There is nothing more special that this family time shared with one another.